


Reaping Time

by infiniteworld8



Series: The Kind That Bring You Home [2]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Academy Era, Alternate Headcanon, Dark Past, Doom, False Memories, Forgotten Memories, Headcanon, Hidden Depths, How the hell did Dr. McCoy forget this?, James T. Kirk Has Issues, John Grimm is Leonard McCoy, Leonard McCoy is John Grimm, McCoy has no idea what he is, McCoy is a Stone Cold Killer, Starfleet Academy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-09
Updated: 2016-06-09
Packaged: 2018-07-14 00:11:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7144172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/infiniteworld8/pseuds/infiniteworld8
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dr. McCoy isn't just an old-fashioned country doctor who happens to live in the 23rd century and attend Starfleet Academy. And Kirk isn't just the kid who fights, fucks or drinks with just about anyone in existence...they've both got a past that twines and intersects long before the shuttle to the academy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reaping Time

McCoy was up half the night after his revelation. He had no idea how he had forgotten Kirk, but now that he remembered him he wasn’t sure he wanted to.  The boy he was back then had been a criminal and the man he was now wasn’t exactly better. Sure—as far as McCoy knew Kirk wasn’t setting people up for kidnapping and murder now and maybe back then it hadn’t exactly been his choice.

But it didn’t change the facts. James. T. Kirk had set him up to be kidnapped and murdered and gotten cold feet at the last second. Definitely, not an upstanding citizen. McCoy’s every fibre was screaming to run away from him but something about the other man kept pulling him back.

That’s how McCoy found himself arriving for the study session Kirk had planned. Kirk was quick to open the door, and McCoy found himself studying him—his overly bright blue eyes, dirty blond hair, lips quirked up in a slight smile. He was all too perfect….all to fake.

“Class on spatial physics is first and you said that was your worst class so I figured we’d do that one, then work on the easier stuff like Gen Exobotany and that kind of shit.”

McCoy shrugged his mind not really on studying, Kirk seemed to sense his distraction and wrongly misread it as something else. That tension was back again, Kirk’s fingers tightening around the data padd he was holding, his movements a little too quick. McCoy sat at the small dorm table strewn with pads, and some flimsies and watched as Kirk went around the small room and tidied up an already clean area.

That in and off itself was odd, McCoy had known a lot of people in his life and people like Kirk tended to reflect the disorder of their lives in their surroundings. But Kirk was neat too neat…it was a basic dorm room so an open floor plan, two beds…one of which was unoccupied (apparently his last roommate had left), a standard issue sofa and a table. There were no personal belongings out, no knickknacks….nothing to indicate any human lived there except for a bag at the leg of Kirk’s bed.

McCoy was willing to bet that the bag wasn’t just a bag…it was _the_ bag. The one where everything of any importance was packed along with a few necessities…the kind of thing someone needed who moved around a lot…or had to move around a lot.

It only added to McCoy’s feeling that Kirk was hiding something. Kirk finally settled at the table with two beers in hand. He nudged one over to McCoy who ignored it, Kirk didn’t notice instead he took a large gulp of his own drink like his was trying to steady his nerves.

His voice was hoarse as he started talking and he was looking anywhere but at McCoy. “So, the basic thing you understand is that in space there is no up and down, no left or right, on a pl—pl—“ Kirk broke off, and this time he glanced up. He was biting his lip, his eyes meeting McCoy’s.

“You know don’t you?”

McCoy didn’t have to ask what…there could only be one thing he was talking about. “Yeah.”

“You remembered last night?” Kirk paused then silent for a long moment. His fingers had tightened against the data padd he was holding until his knuckles were bone white, all the colour seemed to have drained from his face. He opened his mouth then closed it abruptly but his jaw was working like he had something to say and couldn’t figure out what to say.

Finally he blurted out “So, I guess you’re going to kill me huh?”

That of all things was not what McCoy expected. “What?—what makes you think I could—or more importantly would kill anyone? I’m a doctor not a murderer.”

Kirk glanced up at that, from where he had been staring at the table…his face was confused like he couldn’t exactly process what he was hearing. “You’re—“Then his face cleared. “You really don’t remember anything do you?”

McCoy felt he was missing something and along with the anger he was still feeling Kirk’s comment pushed him over the edge. “What the hell more do you want me to remember? I remember you came to where I was working at seventeen, set me up to be kidnapped, then I _was_ kidnapped, tortured, beaten and then when whoever you were working with got  paid and they decided to kill me you got cold feet and let me go.”

“Yeah…” Kirk agreed, “I did that. And I sure as hell deserve whatever you want to do to me for it…but I’m talking about the rest. You don’t remember who you are.”

“What?” McCoy was really beginning to think there was something wrong with Kirk now. “I don’t know what the hell your problem is but I already know who I am, Dr. Leonard McCoy a doctor and a Starfleet Cadet.” He stood up, snatching his bag from the floor and shoving his study Padd in. “I’m leaving, stay away from me or I’m reporting you to –“

“Olduvai , John Grimm, _Reaper_ —any of that ring a bell?”

“ A Grimm Reaper?” The word made McCoy’s spine tingle for some reason but he didn’t stop to heed the feeling. Instead he shook his head, ignoring the sensation and told Kirk “ What the hell are you talking about kid? You’re crazy!”

“No!” Before McCoy could move further Kirk was out his chair and moving towards them. “You’re John Grimm and—“

Then just like that everything blanked. McCoy blinked, Kirk was standing a foot away from him frowning and McCoy had no memory of the man having moved. In fact the last word he remembered was telling Kirk to stay away.

He must have blanked out—which wasn’t that uncommon, he was used to blank spaces. After Jocelyn had left him things had gotten so bad he often drank himself to blackouts or would wake up and have blank spots from the night before. But he was sober now…something was wrong.

Kirk broke his reverie. “You just forgot everything I told you over the past five minutes didn’t you?”

“Five minutes?” McCoy was incredulous it felt like barely a second had passed---except there was a niggling thought in his head that it had been longer

Kirk shook his head, ignoring the question. He was biting his lip again, thinking. Before McCoy could ask him anything else he started pacing talking aloud. “Somebody doesn’t want you to remember right? You don’t have any memories of back then…but you also can’t make new memories with anything that might trigger a memory—“Kirk snapped his fingers. “So it’s got to be some sort of anterogradient synaptic processor.”

He turned back to McCoy. McCoy was watching him with wide eyes. “Those are fucking illegal, and I can assure you I would know if I had something like that in me. Second of all how the hell do you know that?”

Kirk walked closer. “I’m a lot more than an Iowa farmboy.” Kirk continued. “If take it out then you’ll remember…I think.”

McCoy edged away from him. “Assuming I believe any of this shit and don’t think you’re batshit crazy…What if I don’t want to remember...What if there’s a reason for me not remembering.”

Kirk hesitated at that for the barest hint of a second. Then he shook his head decisively. “ _He,_  would want to know.”

 Before McCoy could decide how to react. Kirk was pulling something out of his pocket and McCoy took a step backwards as he saw Kirk had pulled out a knife. Before he could do anything to defend himself Kirk had slammed him against the wall, leaning against him to hold him in place. One arm holding his arms pinned and hisother hand wielding the knife.

McCoy had no idea just what Kirk was planning to do but he could guess. Before he knew what he had done, Kirk was flat on his back gasping, and McCoy was backing away. He had no idea what had happened…no idea how he had got away. Kirk was good…really good, McCoy had seen him in academy martial arts class. McCoy on the other hand was lucky if he could keep from getting knocked down in the first few seconds or tripping over his own feet.

He didn’t have time to process any of it this time, because Kirk was coming at him again and this time he was too fast. Kirk took the fight to the ground pinning the doctor on the floor, from there it was easier to immobilize him.

“Please, whatever you’re going to do—don’t—“

“Sorry Bones.” Was the only response Kirk gave before he plunged the tip of the knife he was holding into McCoy’s neck.

There was a searing hot pain, and McCoy knew he was dying until seconds passed and he realized Kirk wasn’t stabbing him but instead methodically cutting away—which was a pretty good accomplishment considering McCoy was thrashing around trying to get away like his life depended on it. Ten seconds after it all started, McCoy felt a tearing sensation and felt fingers fumbling in his wound, then Kirk pulled back holding up a small metal disc barely the size of a pea. Blood was dripping down his fingers and he was grinning an almost maniacal grin.

McCoy quickly used the opportunity to scoot away. He could feel blood streaming down the side of his neck from where Kirk had cut and pressed a hand to the cut to stem the flow. He felt dizzy as he staredat Kirk with disbelief trying to process what had happened. _He had just been cut open. He had some sort of device in his body and had no idea how it had got there. Kirk was crazy. Everything about this was insane. And yet._

McCoy sat down. His legs suddenly shaky as he watched Kirk drop the metal disc and knife on the table.  His head was still spinning with what had happened.

“Here.” McCoy looked up as Kirk passed him a piece of gauze.  McCoy wordlessly took the bandage and pressed it to the still bleeding wound to his neck. It was then he noticed Kirk was holding his arm weird like it hurt. Kirk noticed where his gaze was and gave a pained shrug. “I think you might have broke something.”

It was an inadequate thing to say compared to what had just happened , but he was still in shock and couldn’t think of anything else.

Kirk for his part was watching him warily. His fingers still slick in blood, his lips tightly compressed his eyes wide scared and confused.

“What’s going on here?” McCoy blurted out the words.

Kirk took a large swallow of his beer finishing off the bottle with shaking hands before answering. “There’s something I need to tell you. The real you…even if you kill me—“

“No, one is killing anyone kid. “ McCoy grimaced (his neck was really starting to hurt). “I’ll be honest I’m probably going to file assault charges for that knife stunt but murder is out of the question.”

“You’re saying that now, because you don’t remember…when you—the real you remembers me I don’t know.” Kirk sank into a chair at the table and McCoy hesitated  before sitting across from him.

“So I’ve got some sort of memories I don’t remember.”

“Yeah.”

“And you know what they are and …who I really am?” McCoy sounded skeptical but Kirk nodded anyway.  “Who told you?”

“You did.” McCoy sat back at that, his eyes wide, like he didn’t—couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  He waited for Kirk to start speaking but he didn’t say anything, instead he stared at him for a long moment before getting up and grabbing a bottle of whiskey from a cabinet. He also rustled in a bag for a moment grabbing something and shoving it in his pocket.

Kirk came back to the table then poured them each a generous glass of whiskey. He pushed McCoy’s glass towards him and then took a drink of his own. McCoy watched Kirk with worried eyes as he drained his glass and poured another.

“Is whatever you’re going to tell me that bad you need to get drunk first?” McCoy asked.

Kirk didn’t answer, just looked at him with piercingly blue eyes, before reacing into his pocket and pulling out a knife. McCoy jerked back, but the knife clattered to the table top and Kirk made no move to touch weapon further.

“What the hell? Are you planning on killing me? You’re insane. What—“

“It’s  yours.”

“Mine?” McCoy could barely gut a fish without cutting himself, he was pretty sure he didn’t know how to use the knife laying between them…it was obviously a weapon made to kill.

“Yeah, you gave it to me.” Kirk took another sip of his glass.

“Do we really need a knife here? Kid, put the—“

Kirk stared at him again stopping his words. His eyes had darkened, like a stormy sky. “It’s for after.”

“After…” McCoy felt like he was parroting everything back. He opened his mouth to say something else but the words froze on his tongue as Kirk continued.

Kirk nudged the blade closer to McCoy. “After I tell you everything, you can decide if you want to kill me.”

**Author's Note:**

> Yay, finally the next one in the series... the references are from DOOM (the movie). As far as I'm concerned, Dr. McCoy is John Grimm (at least in this verse). For those not familiar....when I write I tend to have mutiple headcanons (which sometimes overlap). Basically McCoy is John Grimm in some, other's he isn't. One Tarsus was a Zombie Virus, one it was a famine. One Kodos was good, one Kodos was evil, one Kirk's brother died, another he didn't, Firefly Fusion Verse etc etc....currently I think I only have three verses with stories published :)
> 
> Also sorry for the delay in posting stuff, I got busy with school then dived into a new fandom...don't worry ST: AOS is still my first love


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